Catskill Mountains

Adventure and peace. Fine cuisine. Friendly, homey diners. Breathtaking vistas. A quaint covered bridge over a babbling brook... It's all here in the Catskills. Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties were America's original frontier, and you can find the majesty from which our forefathers drew both inspiration and comfort. So climb one of our peaks -- or ski down them. Enjoy the finest golf, followed by a grand dinner or a cozy supper. Absorb the arts and culture we inspire. Find an adventure. Or just kick back with a good book and a beverage. The Catskill region is an easy -- and beautiful -- drive from Boston, Hartford, New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo and beyond. Practically a wilderness in your back yard! Life is an adventure. An adventure you control. An adventure the Catskills inspire. The Catskill Mountains are a large area in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York. They are located approximately 100 miles north-northwest of New York City and forty miles southwest of Albany, starting just west of the Hudson River. The Catskills occupy much or all of five counties (Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster). As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas close to or within the borders of the Catskill Park, a vast forest preserve protected from many forms of development under New York state law. The Catskills are well known in American culture, both as the setting for many 19th-century Hudson River School paintings and as the favored destination for Jewish vacationers from New York City in the mid-20th century. The region's so-called "Borscht Belt" resorts gave countless young stand-up comedians an opportunity to hone their craft. In addition, the Catskills have long been a haven for artists, musicians, and writers, especially in and around the town of Woodstock.